The Moderate Imam Behind 'Ground Zero Mosque'

This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," August 10, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: Hello, America.

Isn't it amazing how much resistance something called "common sense" is met with today? The tea parties rally for smaller government — smaller government — and yet, they're labeled racist. They call out Congress for mortgaging our future and selling our kids into — I don't even know what their life is going to be like at this point. They are a violent threat now, because they do that.

Any smaller government movement is vilified. They could be holding, you know, safe, cute little puppy dogs from cute puppy dog murderer rallies and they'd still be racist hate-mongers.

So, it stands to reason that anybody who does what I'm about to do is going to be called a hatemonger. But I'm kind of used to it at this point.

We're going to talk about the Ground Zero mosque.

Now, unless you've been in, you know, in some Twinkie-induced coma, which I hear can actually happen, for the last couple of months — and don't get me wrong, I have been thinking about whisking my way, you know, to Twinkie-ville, I sure have — but there is an Islamic community center and mosque called the Cordoba Center that you need to know about.

It's being built just down the road from Ground Zero. I know you've heard this. It's an emotionally charged subject. You may have seen some of the footage of the town hall meetings in New York City where we're just a little more tense than maybe, I don't know, Nebraska.

It would be easy, as many commentators did, just to shout down the idea of building a mosque right off the bat. I haven't done that. In fact, this may be the first time that I've addressed this on television because I've had a different opinion than everyone else and we've had things to roll up our sleeves and do.

But things have changed. But I want to start at the beginning. I want to show how I responded on radio when I first heard the news that a mosque was being built across the street from Ground Zero:

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

PAT: There's a variety of reasons why Glenn would support the mosque near the Ground Zero.

BECK: No, there's only one, the Constitution and the rule of law. I am offended by it. I don't want the mosque being built there. I think it is I think — it's a slap across the face. If we can prove criminal activity, if we can prove that this is a radicalized mosque, if we can prove that radicals in Saudi Arabia are funding this, then that's a different story.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BECK: OK, the context of all of that was I believe in religious freedom. I happen to belong to a church where people get upset when you want to build a temple anywhere. You know, look, I understand neighborhoods. I understand religious freedom. You have a right to worship and practice your religion the way you wish. Trying to be a positive impact on the community at large — that is kind of a tough little loophole if your religion is saying maybe you should blow people up.

So, assuming that this isn't a radicalized mosque, there's no criminal or terrorist-related activity in it — and there's an update on that, standby — you should be able to build a mosque. And I'm sorry, that's not popular, but that's the way it is. We're America.

But the main complaint by many Muslim groups after 9/11 was that Americans hated them. The president said, I want to make sure that nobody rounds people up. Really?

People have been worried about how Americans perceive Muslims. So my question has been: How does building a mosque right next to the place where radical Muslim terrorists murdered 3,000 Americans, how does that help improve the negative perception? Not really seeing the up-side there, especially — especially — reopening the scar because it comes as a slap in the face when you think, you know, wait a minute, when were they going to open that again?

It doesn't sit well with Americans. It probably sits as well as a Serbian orthodox church on the ground where 8,000 Muslims were slaughtered in Sebranka (ph) or — seriously, what is it? Srebrenica. Thank you very much. Whatever. Really? Are they going to build that there? No. Why? Because it would be a slap in the face. To describe it anything other than that is really a second slap in the face. And if they have a reason, well, I'd love to hear it.

Now, here's where it starts to shimmy apart. The Cordoba Center is going to cost at least $100 million. But, quote, "Exactly how the Cordoba Initiative will be financed remains unclear." Hmm. That's probably something that we should take into consideration. Don't you think?

So, despite the blatant disregard for the sensitivity of the mosque's location and despite the obvious slap in the face of the dedication date, there was — for a while, they were talking about they were going to open it on 9-11-01. Despite the funding source, that is unknown, I think those are kind of red flags. What do you think?

I still thought, because of that pesky Constitution, you should be able to build a mosque there. You can't just make up laws. OK? And that changes us, as people. We've got to be decent, as long as everyone else is being decent. We don't close our eyes, however. And that's where things have changed.

I read about the imam for the proposed center, Feisal Abdul-Rauf. Love this cat. This is where the line has officially been crossed.

We've got all these players over there. How did they all fit together? Because, see, this is what we do. This is what media used to do. We're kind of old-timey here. We look at all of these players and say, do they fit at all?

Feisal is a clear and key figure in the Perdana Global Peace Organization. Wow! That sounds wonderful because it's got "peace" right there in the name. Yes. Abdul-Rauf, he's right there on Perdana's website. See? Right there is the website, under "role players and contributors." It's very nice.

Perdana, the peace group, is the single biggest honor — $366,000 — of the Free Gaza Movement. Free Gaza, why do I know Free Gaza? There's Free Gaza. Oh, yes, Free Gaza. They were the key organizer of the six-ship flotilla that tried to bust through Israel's blockade and then stabbed Israeli soldiers as they boarded the ship. And, of course, the flotilla was also helped by Hamas-supported groups — which is always good when you can say, "Hey, Hamas is with us, too."

Now, wait a minute, let's look at all of these because we also have Kagan over here. How is Kagan involved? Didn't our new Supreme Court justice say that we should apply — what did she say — "battlefield law" to anyone suspected of financing terror groups? Didn't she say that we're not just talking about suspending the Miranda rights — you could be held indefinitely? Now, is that for people like this and this? We should ask her. Or is that just for non-Muslims? I don't know.

Now, if I look at this — and just what I just told you, I'd say, now might be the good time to put the brakes on. Slow down. Take a closer look. I mean, who doesn't think maybe we should look into it a little bit more?

Yes, let's continue with the chalkboard, shall we? Who else is here? Oh, here's Bill Ayers and his lovely radicalized wife Bernardine Dohrn. Now, how do they fit in? Oh, that's right! They also helped Free Gaza. Yes, they helped organize the flotilla. And Ayers is tight with Obama. The president has a lot of friends in the flotilla world, including this guy, Rashid Khalidi. Oh, good friends there. Yes, good friends here.

And, by the way, Rashid Khalidi, he's on this board because he's promised another flotilla offensive. Yes. Wait until, wait until I'll tell you what the name of that one is.

All right. So, then, we have the attorney general and we have Hillary Clinton. I'll tell you what? Let's look at this board, shall we?

Let's take the imam, Feisal. And he is a contributor to Perdana. Perdana is the Free Gaza people who did the six-ship flotilla, which is nice.

That's Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, they also helped here. And the six-ship flotilla is, of course, related to Hamas. You know, those people — aye-aye-aye — boom! Those people.

Now, so you have that's a pretty good circle here, ain't it? What do you think? We should look into something like this, but we can't because Barack Obama, who is friends with Rashid Khalidi who is going to do yet another six-ship flotilla like this one. He's going to do this one in September and he's calling it the "Audacity of Hope" — which is weird because that's Barack Obama's book. Check it on Amazon. Let's find out where it is now because it's going to shoot up — last night was "Dreams From My Father." Tonight, "Audacity of Hope."

"Audacity of Hope," which was Jeremiah Wright's speech. And it's weird! A flotilla, with a tip of the hat to Obama, which is actually a tip of the hat to Jeremiah Wright, who says all kind of crazy things about Jews and everything else.

OK. So, anyway, we can't really do anything because Eric Holder from the FBI is standing in the way. Eric says we're not even at war with terror. OK?

Now, where does Hillary Clinton come in? Where does this happen?

Hillary Clinton is up here, because the State Department has decided that they are going to give him money. Yes. They have now confirmed that the State Department is going to give him money. They're going to finance him. Soon, Feisal Abdu-Rauf is going to be going on a trip to the Middle East. Oh, it's exotic there! And you are going to be picking up the tab.

Now, why? Why? Anybody got an answer?

I know why he's trekking overseas. Why is he trekking overseas? Because we got to go back to this one. The Cordoba Center? Remember, it's $100 million. And they have no idea — no idea — where they're going to get the money. Oh! Probably going to run into a few hiccups fundraising here in New York.

So, why not send him overseas? And, of course, he won't look into any of this because he says not to. But he listened to this guy and this guy. And this guy's naming the ship to go get those Jews. Oh, that's great.

This is — no, there's no problem. No problem at all. If this guy could convince this guy or her to save costs, you know, get the sympathetic administration to pick up the tab, this guy may be able to get the hundred million to build this center here. Isn't that great?

Of course, now, the State Department says no, no, no, no. Here's P.J. Crowley — who by the way, another connection, used to work for the Center for American Progress, you know, the group started by George Soros — here he is clearly thrilled about getting the task of explaining all of this.

Watch:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

P.J. CROWLEY, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: He is a distinguished Muslim cleric. We do have a program whereby we — through our Educational and Cultural Affairs, you know, bureau here at the State Department — we send people from Muslim communities here in this country around the world to help, you know, people overseas understand —

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Did you know we did that, Oscar?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: — our society and the role of religion —

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Did you know that?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: — within our society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: I didn't know that. Did you know we were doing that? That's really — that's a — and he's a moderate Muslim. That's weird because you wouldn't know it by reading Time magazine.

Here's the other thing on the board, Time magazine. Here I am. OK. I'm a mad man. "Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?" Time magazine article on me. Here's the Time magazine article on the new imam, the moderate imam behind the ground zero mosque. Mad man! Good guy. Mad man! Good guy.

Now, what did this moderate say just a few days after 9/11? Well, of course, what all moderates would say, quote, "I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but United States policies were an accessory to the crime that did happen."

Now, let me ask you this: Would a moderate imam, a peaceful Muslim employ another imam who told an Arabic language website that, quote, "Only the Jews could have perpetrated the 9/11 attack." That kind of sounds like Jeremiah Wright, doesn't it? And if Americans only knew that it was the Jews' fault, they, quote, "would have done to Jews what Hitler did," end quote. And that Jews, quote, "disseminate corruption in the land and spread heresy, homosexuality, alcoholism and drugs."

Oh, that's the kind of moderate imam I've been looking for right there at Ground Zero. How about you?

Would be — I'd have to ask Time magazine, the Muslim leader right-wing commentators fantasize about — would that guy refuse to denounce Hamas as a terrorist organization? No? Well, he did. He did all of those things.

DAVID HOROWITZ, FRONTPAGEMAGAZINE.COM: Will you condemn Hamas, here and now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry, what?

HOROWITZ: Will you condemn Hamas?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would I condemn Hamas?

HOROWITZ: — as a terrorist organization, genocidal organization?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you asking me to put myself on a cross?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: No.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOROWITZ: So, you won't?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Yes. Now and she went on and talked about how the Jews are really responsible. It was great.

Now, here's what a real moderate Muslim sounds like. This is from Bill O'Reilly's program last night. Watch this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAHEEL RAZA, MUSLIM CANADIAN CONGRESS BOARD MEMBER: How does building a mosque in the very place where Muslims murdered so many other Americans would create any kind of respect?

What I'm hearing from people, especially those who are victims and families — who are families of the victims is that this is very hurtful and it's very painful. And as a Muslim, I read in my holy book, the Quran, that we should not — that we should be very sensitive towards people of other faiths, especially when we are living in lands that are not Muslim lands. And these are the neighbors and our colleagues and the people we care about. We don't show our caring for them by being intolerant.

Building a mosque for a place of worship in a particular spot across the street from Ground Zero is a slap in the face of all Americans. I can't begin to imagine how they would even conceive an idea that building a mosque there, which is an exclusive place of prayer for Muslims, would in any way build tolerance and respect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Yes. If she wants to build a mosque in Ground Zero, I'm in! In fact, I have my wallet on me and a credit card. I'll go ahead and make a donation.

You see, there are moderate Muslims. She's obviously one of them. She realizes building a mosque next to Ground Zero, having Rauf head it up — yes, there he is — bad idea for Muslims. This doesn't help any way, shape or form. Common sense tells you, common sense tells you this doesn't work. And if anyone in this country was still applying common sense, well, you'd know that.

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